Shotgun shells reloading - does it make financial sense in 2026?
- Thread starter Horilka
- Start date
For non-standard gauges 100%, but anything outside of 12,16 and 20ga right now requires a more expensive loader, although Lee says they have a 410 and 28ga Lee Load All coming out this summer, I am crossing my fingers there.
For shooting clays at the range with the 16ga I would be in the poor house pretty quick if I shot factory ammo.
For shooting clays at the range with the 16ga I would be in the poor house pretty quick if I shot factory ammo.
I load about 3000 rounds of 28 gauge, and about 3000 of 410 every year for skeet. I save close to $4000 per year, as opposed to purchasing factory target loads. I don't load 12 or 20 gauge, as there is n real cost savings for them.
Only place you can save money is slugs and buckshot. The rest just really isn’t worth unless you have a stock pile of components bought a few years ago at cheaper prices. The smaller gauges are where the savings is. I load for 410 and 16 ga.
I don't think anyone on a public forum will offer you reloads as it is frowned upon in the explosives act. (unless you have a manufacturers license)
With BPI primed hulls, almost the same cost as buying primers at big box stores, ha ha.
Well, I guess I'm on a different page. Using current best component prices, I'm reloading 1 oz birdshot loads @ 1300 fps for less than 10$ per box. Furthermore, given that I have purchased a fair amount of supplies, that 10$ is locked in for several years. As far as the press is concerned, I bought it used for cheaps, and can likely sell it for the same amount, or more, before heading to the old folks home.
Me 2 bought large saved big. Almost to much money to start up in todays climate. Cost of living nowdays is just stupid .
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I am in the ballpark too, find the deals, collect when you can get deals and load up.
It is amazing though how many people claim you cannot make ammo with entry level stuff, you see it all the time. When someone asks about getting in to reloading for cartridges people rarely say "Go buy a Lee single stage press and upgrade later if you need to", they all seem to say "RCBS, nothing less, pain once" but I have been running a Lee classic single stage press for 27 years and have only replaced one part because I was being foolish.
The same goes for shotgun reloading, the Lee Load All II can be had in Canada for $97+tax, with all the bushings needed to make serviceable ammunition, the MEC JR is what most are pushed towards, yes it is nice but also comes in at $515+tax, that is a lot of factory shot shells.
It depends where you live, if you are close to Hummason and don't have to ship shot, you can buy shot for about $20 per bag less than what we pay in western Canada. That extra cost for shot makes it impossible for us to save money loading 12 gauge.
